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Letter to Joshua F. Speed
August 24, 1855
I am not a Know-Nothing. That is certain. How could I be? How can any one who abhors the
oppression of negroes, be in favor of degrading classes of white people? Our progress in
degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we begin by declaring that "all men are
created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except negroes." When
the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except negroes, and
foreigners, and catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country
where they make no pretence of loving liberty-to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be
taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy.